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Watchdog 'failed' says Sats probe Sats inquiry: watchdog 'failed'
(10 minutes later)
The inquiry into this year's Sats test shambles has blamed the exam watchdog and private contractor ETS Europe.The inquiry into this year's Sats test shambles has blamed the exam watchdog and private contractor ETS Europe.
Lord Sutherland's inquiry into the disruption to tests taken by more than a million of England's pupils says the QCA exam watchdog "failed its remit".Lord Sutherland's inquiry into the disruption to tests taken by more than a million of England's pupils says the QCA exam watchdog "failed its remit".
The head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Ken Boston, has already resigned over the tests.The head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Ken Boston, has already resigned over the tests.
"Pupils, parents, schools and markers," had been failed by the problems with tests, said Lord Sutherland."Pupils, parents, schools and markers," had been failed by the problems with tests, said Lord Sutherland.
Responding to the report, Children's Secretary Ed Balls said that "what happened this year was completely unacceptable".
Lord Sutherland's inquiry blames ETS Europe and its "insufficient" capacity to deliver the tests.Lord Sutherland's inquiry blames ETS Europe and its "insufficient" capacity to deliver the tests.
'Lack of planning''Lack of planning'
It says there was a "lack of comprehensive planning and testing" of the systems used for the tests taken by 11 and 14 year olds.It says there was a "lack of comprehensive planning and testing" of the systems used for the tests taken by 11 and 14 year olds.
It also points to the failings of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which "failed to deliver its remit from government and did not manage the contract it held with ETS effectively".It also points to the failings of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which "failed to deliver its remit from government and did not manage the contract it held with ETS effectively".
In the recriminations that followed the Sats problems, ETS Europe had its £156m contract cancelled and ministers had the embarrassment of postponing the annual league tables, which are based on the results.In the recriminations that followed the Sats problems, ETS Europe had its £156m contract cancelled and ministers had the embarrassment of postponing the annual league tables, which are based on the results.
Half of the Sats themselves - those taken by 14-year-olds - have also been scrapped in the subsequent shake-up. Half of the Sats themselves - those taken by 14-year-olds - have also been scrapped by the children's secretary in a subsequent shake-up of testing.
Mr Balls labelled this year's problems as a "shambles" and he apologised to schools and families for "all their inconvenience, stress and frustration".
The Liberal Democrats' schools spokesman, David Laws, called for ministers and other officials to accept responsibility for the problems.The Liberal Democrats' schools spokesman, David Laws, called for ministers and other officials to accept responsibility for the problems.
"It is appropriate for the head of the QCA to resign, and the managing director of the National Assessment Agency also needs to be replaced," he said."It is appropriate for the head of the QCA to resign, and the managing director of the National Assessment Agency also needs to be replaced," he said.
“Ministers themselves should also accept some blame for their complacent attitude to the delivery of the tests. It is clear that they were asleep at the wheel," said Mr Laws.“Ministers themselves should also accept some blame for their complacent attitude to the delivery of the tests. It is clear that they were asleep at the wheel," said Mr Laws.
Lord Sutherland's inquiry examined how the exam authorities responded to the early warnings that the administration of the tests was not working. The National Association of Head Teachers welcomed the report but warned of "systemic flaws in current arrangements" and that there was a high risk of a repeat of such problems.
From May, soon after the tests had been taken, there were already well-publicised problems emerging.
But there were also signs of a wide gap between what the exam authorities were saying and what many markers and teachers were saying in e-mails sent to the BBC News website.
On 16 May, while a marker was warning of marking being "close to total collapase" a spokesman for ETS Europe was promising "we will get the results out on time".
The National Assessment Agency was also expressing its confidence that that results would not be delayed.
It was only a few days before the July deadline that it was admitted that the tests would not be published on time - with subsequent deadlines spilling over into the autumn term.